Kingdom to Come
by Chigiri
Summary: (AU) When your best friend turns out to be the reincarnation of an eternally young king, would you do everything in your power to protect him? Riku would, although his "friendship" runs deeper than just that... (RikuXSora) (Chapter: 5)
1. The Wheel of Fortune

A/N: I'm ba-ack! Yeah, I got another KH fic going on, this time it's completely AU…believe me

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, then lots of stuff would happen, then it would no longer be rated E…don't sue me please!!

Kingdom to Come

Chapter one: The Wheel of Fortune

Nothing was all right.

No, not now, at least. Sora wasn't here with him, as he should be. And that made nothing all right.

Burying his hand into his pale locks of messy hair, he leaned on the arm of the throne and stared at the sickened gray pathway before him. Tendrils of blackness waved around the nonexistent area, as he lazily regarded them with nothing more than a bored glance. Only the clinking sounds of his small winged pendant accompanied him and his not-so-silent thoughts…

It upset him that Sora had to go, more than the stupid commoners, more than the royal court. It upset him even more than his closest friends and family. It was all _the demon's _fault for leaving him here alone, in this deep, dark, torturous place.

But never Sora's fault. No no no, not Sora's fault at all. He'd protect Sora with his whole, never-ending life for forever and ever and eternity. But the first obstacle he had to overcome…

"I'm coming, So-ra!" He chanted in a sing-song voice to the watery image before him, his icy blue eyes playfully accenting the obsessive grin on his lips.

Oh, nothing could come between him, Sora, and their beloved Kingdom…

Silently tip-toeing to his room, he crouched into position. Ah, there was his prey, working at his desk and completely oblivious of his fate, as expected. The bed obstructing his view was no problem by now, as he was guided by keen instinct. He knew exactly when, where, and how to move to acquire the desired results. Preparing himself to leap, he shook his head and smiled. Sometimes he had too much fun with this…

He watched Sora brush off some eraser particles off the desk and chose his time to attack. Quickly, he leapt across the bed and wrapped his arms around the figure's shoulders, effectively sounding a yelp from the other. Sora's chair tipped and fell with a resounding "thump!" causing his prey to collide partially onto the bed and pinning him against his arms.

"At it again, Sora?" He smirked as Sora's shocked eyes pierced his own with a brilliant blue. His resolve started to slip as his friend's eyes lit up with recognition. It was amazing how his eyes could suddenly tranquillize people so quickly…

"Riku!" The brunette chastised lightly with a smile. He felt like silly putty at the moment, but he couldn't possibly let Sora in on that little factor. So, he settled for brushing his silver locks out of the way while maintaining Sora half-pinned under him.

"So wat'cha working on now?" Riku leaned over as best he could to see the desk, breaking Sora's alluring gaze. He felt Sora squirm underneath him and gave a small whine.

"Well, if you let me up, I can show you!" He didn't even need to look at Sora to know he was pouting. A little disappointed (it's not every day you get Sora pinned, half hanging off the bed under you) he let his grip go. Sora slid off and rubbed his back a little, grimacing a little from the uncomfortable position. Of course he'd been through a lot worse things than a stiff back, but he couldn't help but feel almost a little guilty for it.

Riku extended his hand and Sora gratefully took it, pulling himself up from the floor. The brunette flashed him a quick smile before handing him the paper he was working on.

His right eyebrow rose up.

"It looks like a key." He remarked, raising his eyes from the sketch to look at the artist.

"It's a Key_blade_, to be exact." Sora huffed in reply, but refused to meet his gaze. At this, Riku's interest suddenly flared. He always acted like this whenever something odd occurred. A small pause filled the air before he asked.

"Did it happen again?"

_That_ caught Sora's attention from the invisible object he was so intent on studying. The blue-eyed boy jumped and whipped his head to stare right at Riku. He caught a glimpse of something between hesitation and guilt in his eyes before the boy closed them. Sora chuckled, running his hand through his messy spikes.

"Geez, I didn't think it was that important."

"How much sleep did you lose?"

"Umm…it was about 3:30 when I started drawing…"

"You were up at three in the morning?!" Riku repeated, firmly grabbing Sora's wrist. Instinctively Sora pulled back, though he knew Riku wouldn't hurt him.

"I'm okay, really."

"Sora, we didn't get back from Kairi's place until 11:00!"

"So?"

"So? It means that _you're running on only three hours of sleep,_ that's what."

"I'm _fine_, Riku." Sora stressed. A small frown played on his lips and he unwillingly let go. This was also common in the morning as of late. It was the forth time this week that his friend had little to no sleep…

"Alright, but if you pass out on me while Kairi's drilling us around today, then don't expect me to drag you're sorry butt out."

Sora grinned and picked up the chair on the floor. He pushed himself on top of the desk and brushed his other drawings away, stuffing them in a random drawer. With the lighting from the window behind, Sora looked as if he were glowing.

"Do you want to hear…?"

Riku nodded. Of course he would…

"Might as well. We have time." He said, swinging his legs off the bed. Sora smiled faintly, and put his hands behind his head.

"I was with Donald and Goofy again…this time we were at a throne area some sorts. Who would put a throne outside?" The brunette shook his head and continued.

"Anyway, I had the Keyblade with me, and we were talking about going somewhere…It was important, because Goofy was frowning and mentioning something about risks…"

"Goofy's the dog, right?" He interrupted, as his friend broke from his reverie.

"Yeah," He affirmed, "Which is why I knew something was up. Usually Donald is the one with the cranky attitude."

This was what set Sora's adventures away from normal dreams, both he and Sora realized. Nothing that _real_ could have been just a dream. Sora could remember almost everything. Both his recent companions' expressions and feelings from Goofy's lax personality down to Donald's large beak, along with some of his own actions were still defined when Sora awoke. And as much as that worried him, he could help but feel a bit left out. Here, Sora had an adventure of sorts, while he was stuck in the monotony of this cruddy island. It wasn't fair at all!

But it wasn't Sora's fault, either. He didn't choose to have anything like this happen to him, and it wasn't exactly benefiting him either. Sora's lack of sleep was starting to take a toll on him and Riku could see that, no matter how hard his friend tried to hide it. But even if he had mentioned anything, Sora was just too stubborn to listen.

"And…" Sora began only to hesitate, worry etched into his features, "You came up with another Keyblade, but you were pretty beat up. I asked you what happened, but you passed out before you got to tell me anything…so I decided to check it out myself. Then I woke up."

"Did you see anything?" He asked, mildly surprised that _he_ appeared in his dreams too.

Sora knitted his eyebrows together in thought and finally spoke.

"No. It was near the end of the dream, and everything was hazy after I left."

Either Sora really couldn't remember or he was lying to him.

Noticing the lighter shade in the room, Riku decided to bump back to reality. He smirked, inspecting the cat-patterned pajamas his friend wore.

"Kairi's expecting us, so get dressed and let's go."

Sora pouted cutely and Riku melted a little.

"I can't when you're here!" The spiky brunette tilted his head and crossed his arms, staring at him.

Well, he could, but that would prove a little…odd? A mental flash of Sora undressing in front of him quickly passed by and he fought to control the blush that was creeping up. Maybe he should leave…

"Okay, okay, I'm leaving!" He threw his hands up in surrender and headed to the door, just in time to miss the blush that spread across Sora's face. Sora heard the door click and he hopped off the desk and turned away.

"Oh man…" He moaned, embarrassed. "That was close."

A few moments later, Sora was fully dressed, and the two headed off to their island. Kairi stood in her usual spot; leaning against the sail of the raft they were in the process of making. She held a bored look on her face as she fiddled around with some Thalassa shells.

"Kairi!" Sora called out and waved. She picked herself up immediately, smiling brightly at both of them before calling out.

"Sora! Riku! Get your lazy butts over here!"

Kairi pocketed the shells and put her hands on her hips as the boys stood in front of her. Giving them a playful glare she waggled her finger and tsked.

"You're late! At this rate, we'll never have the raft finished."

Riku ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He could see that Kairi's job was mostly over, with all the supplies bunched up on the raft's surface. If he and Sora did their jobs properly, tomorrow would be the last day on Destiny Islands.

Kairi dug through her bag, produced two lists and handed the small pieces of parchment to him and Sora. Riku scanned the short request. The regal handwriting stood out against the whiteness of the paper, full of loops and crosses. Kairi could practically make her own style of art just with her print.

Two logs, a cloth, and a rope,? That wasn't asking for much. Riku smirked and waved his hand dismissively.

"This is easy! I'll be done before you know it!"

"But you have to bring them to me right away," Kairi sternly ordered, "so you don't forget them when you end up sparring with Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie."

"Yes, princess." He retorted, mock bowing to the girl.

And so Riku started off, with Sora in the distance. Two logs, a rope, and a cloth later, Riku lazily gazed at the sky accompanied with none other than his blaring thoughts. The sand felt comforting against his skin, and the ocean sung her magical tune. Paopu island was his little place to relax, but it didn't calm the storm in his mind.

Gods, how did Selphie find out?

_"Riku!" Selphie screamed in delight, glomping him in the process. The logs and cloth he collected so far scattered in the sand beside him. _

_"Hello to you too, Selphie." Riku groaned. _

_"You know," She grinned while sitting on top of him, "I've come to a final conclusion yesterday."_

_"And what would that be?" He knew that particular grin before, which meant that Selphie was in her super-creepy scheming mood. Half of him didn't even want to know._

_"You and Sora would make a great couple, don'tcha think?"_

_"What?!" He sat up, knocking Selphie off in an instant. He didn't have enough time to cover up his shock before the crazy girl made her eyes like a cat that's found her prey._

_"You like Sora, don't you?" She accused, and Riku had hard time trying to control his blush. _

_"You can't be serious…"He managed, though it came out a bit harsher than he intended._

_But that didn't seem to perturb Selphie._

_"I _am _serious, Riku." The crazed girl pulled the sentence off like she meant it. Riku felt himself a little less guarded, but he still refused to tell. Selphie was dependable no doubt, but still, if anything ever got back to Sora…_

_"Aha! You do!" She cheered. What did she have? Psychic sense?_

_"Never doubt the power of women's intuition!" And he mentally rolled his eyes._

"You can't tell anyone." He more or less demanded, while looking at the sand. What was he thinking? This very well could mark the end of his life.

It had been bugging his mind even after he found the rope and returned everything to Kairi. He knew he had feelings for Sora, but nothing was ever easy. The feelings he had weren't just a crush, or just a teenage thing. He _loved_ Sora! His whole world depended on his best friend.

And if anything happened to Sora, Riku would be sure to find a way to be with him.

The platinum haired boy was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice his object of affections creeping up from behind. Sora grinned at the chance to get him back.

"Hey!"

Whirling around, Riku met a pair of sapphire eyes. He mentally cursed about thinking too loud and smiled.

"Hey."

"What are you thinking about?" He innocently asked with a grin plastered on his face. Riku turned to the ocean and masked his emotions the best he could.

"Nothing important. Just something Selphie went on about." That wasn't a complete lie, and Sora accepted it. Now if he could just switch the subject…

"Did you hand your stuff over to Kairi?" He asked the brunette. Sora shook his head.

"I still need to find a mushroom."

"Here, I'll help you. Maybe there's some at the secret place?"

Riku smirked inwardly as he stood up. Some competition could get his mind off of things.

"Race ya!" He shouted and took off, hearing Sora protest loudly.

"Hey!"

The secret place…something mysterious lived there. Not necessarily physical, but everyone could feel it. It gave him the creeps sometimes, but whatever hidden power kept itself among the drawn-on walls and plain, wooden, locked door called to him. He remembered the first time they found it, Sora thought a monster lived inside.

"What are you laughing at?" Sora questioned when they reached the small room.

"At how slow you are." And he received an adorable pout.

'Not fair." He whacked the silver-haired fiend and passed by him, putting a gloved hand on the sealed door. Riku searched the ground for any mushrooms.

"Remember when we first found this place?" Sora chuckled, looking at Riku then back to the door. He smiled in remembrance.

"Yeah. You cried like a baby when you thought some scary monster was gonna eat you up." He expected a reply to that, or maybe another pout, but Sora didn't move. He looked up from his search and stared. Sora's eyes were totally closed, but something was off with his expression.

"Sora?" What was wrong? By now, he would've done _something._

His eyelids rose only half-way, revealing his glossed over orbs.

"Ri…" He muttered with a thick tongue and suddenly the boy started to fall. Riku rushed to his side and wrapped his arms around the collapsed boy's waist, pushing them to the ground.

"Sora!" He stressed, and sighed heavily. The lack of sleep would have gotten to him eventually, but at least he was somewhere safe. Lightly brushing the hair out of Sora's face, he picked the boy up and started carrying him out. He had a bit of trouble along the hall, but he managed to get out without and serious problems.

The brightness from out side temporarily blinded him, but that didn't matter. He continued his way towards the docks without delay, slightly shifting Sora. For someone who looked scrawny, he sure weighed a lot.

"Riku!" Selphie's cheerful voice rang out, "Oh-what happened?!" She stopped in mid-glomp and hovered over Sora.

"Hey! What's going on?" Tidus' voice rang out. The sandy blonde boy ran up, sword in hand. He looked a little bruised, which usually meant he was practicing with Wakka.

"He's okay. I'm taking him to his house now." He replied, thought a little uncomfortable. Whether Sora was really okay or not started to ebb at his mind, but he ignored it. Sora was just sleep deprived, that's all.

"Well don't let us stop you!" Selphie gave him an encouraging push and grabbed Tidus's arm. "I'll be sure to tell Kairi."

"Wait! What are you dragging me along for?"

"Because you don't want me to be defenseless against Kairi, do you?"

Riku shook his head and reached the docks, placing Sora in the boat. He tied the other boat up to his, mentally grumbling about the extra effort.

Eventually he reached Sora's house and up the stairs to Sora's room. He placed the sleeping boy on his bed. The sunlight completely lit the room by now, and he could clearly see everything. A few posters littered the walls, along with some drawings. A small dresser stashed itself in a corner, holding pictures of him, Sora, and Kairi. A larger picture on his wall held all of his friends from the island. He sat in the chair by the desk, watching Sora. Something slid under his foot, and he curiously glanced down to look at it.

It was a sketch of an elaborate crown.

He knew Sora didn't show him that picture before, but it looked so familiar. How could that be possible? He picked up the forgotten sketch and peered at the details.

It wasn't very big, but large enough to look too comical. A heart adorned the very middle, with two prongs protruding outward from the crevice. Small diamond-cut jewels lined the rest of the front.

A small crown ruefully fell to the ground, bouncing once off the cruel surface before circling its rim and coming to a stop. The gold seemed to dim and tarnish instantly and the jewels cracked, as if sensing the loss of its owner.

The flash of…_whatever_ it was startled him enough to jump.

"What wrong?" The groggy voice surprised him once more, but at least it came with a sense of relief. Riku smiled and leaned against the back of the chair.

"Other than you passing out? Nothing." Sora scratched the back of his head and gave his friend a confused look.

"Oh…" He finally said, and started to sit up.

"No way, Sora. Go to sleep."

"No."

Riku stood from his seat and walked over to his friend. He leaned over so he was face-to-face with the stubborn boy.

"Yes you will."

"I won't go to sleep." Sora pouted and crossed his arms, and Riku was suddenly reminded of his five-year-old self. He gently pushed Sora back down on the bed.

"How about I stay with you?" The stubborn boy seemed to ponder about it a bit, and slowly nodded. He dug under the covers and slid over, giving his friend a stare.

"If I'm going to sleep, you're going with me." He didn't need to play the "revenge" tactic, but it was nice to give Riku a good excuse to be nearby. If only it could be easier to control himself.

Kicking off his shoes, he crawled onto the fluffy surface that held an even more enticing person. Riku placed himself under the covers with Sora, settling just right as to leave some space between them. But that proved futile, as his innocent partner hugged his arm.

"You're not getting away from me, even if you try."

Riku didn't even want to retort to that, but he managed a smile and closed his eyes. He remembered only sleeping like this when they were small, when it didn't matter. Would they get into trouble if anyone found out? Ah, but this was just so comfortable…he'd let it slip just this once.

And so, Riku contentedly fell into sleep, not once aware of the small, loving smile that adorned his face. Of course, this did not go unseen…

Kairi gently tapped on the door, peeking through the crack on the door. She stepped in further, glimpsing at the cute sight and smiling gently before tip-toeing her way to the open window. She slid the pane shut and glanced down at the messy desk, eyeing Sora's sketches.

"I hope…"Kairi started, but she only shook her head. The boys looked so peaceful, and she didn't want to finish that thought. She glided out of the room and shut the door behind her.

Countless sweet silences passed by, and only the ruthless sounds of thunder could disturb Riku out of his peaceful haven. The rumbling vibrated in his ears as his mind slowly came to reality. Sora managed to let go of his arm sometime during their nap, and draped it over his chest instead. He turned his head, eyeing the beautiful face even in the darkened room. Through the haze of his mind, only his name cut through and whispered his deepest secrets. Riku lied like that for a while, immune to the raging weather outside.

But the rain called out to Riku, beating on the window with a bland desperation. The aquatic drops jolted him from his calm state. The raft!

Riku hesitated, but he had already made up his mind. It was late anyway, and by the time he'd get back, his parents would kill him. Right now, the raft was more important.

Lifting the sleeping boy's arm slowly, he shifted out of the bed a bit a time. He placed Sora's arm back down, and after a few minutes, he retrieved his shoes. It looked about late evening.

Making his way towards the door as quietly as he could, Riku double-checked for anything he missed. Everything seemed in place, and he almost had the door opened just enough-

A small yawn emitted from the bed, and the unmistakable shuffle of fabric. Riku froze in his place.

"Where are you going?" Sora tiredly questioned, yawning soon afterwards. He turned to his friend with a neutral expression.

"I'm going to check on the raft."

"But it's raining outside…"

"And you think a little rain is gonna stop me?" He smirked, waving it off. Then he added in a quieter voice, "You should go back to sleep. We have a long day ahead tomorrow."

Before Sora could retort, Riku was out the door. If Sora had the chance, he could convince Riku to wait a while, but if anything, Riku had lousy patience. He waited so long to travel to different worlds with Sora and Kairi, and nothing was going to stop him from that. Not the rain, not the fading darkness, if anything was to stop him, it would either be his death, or something horrible happened to Sora.

By then, he hurried out the house and into the rain. He unlatched Sora's boat from his and took off.

Soaked from the pouring droplets, Riku eventually made it to the raft. Kairi had enough sense to cover the supplies, at least. He pushed the vessel farther away from the waves just for safe measure. The thunderstorm was dying down, as he could see patches of the starry sky. He leaned against the mast and stared at the ocean.

How many worlds would be out there for them to find? Did they have enough supplies? Maybe Kairi should've taken up fighting lessons, just in case…

…What if they didn't make it?

It would be his fault. He was the one to suggest this adventure in the first place. It would be on his shoulders if he caused the deaths of his two best friends. But when it all came down to it, how much was he honestly willing to sacrifice for this adventure?

The sound of footsteps scraping the sand brought him out of his reverie, as he coolly looked at the incoming figure.

Kairi hurried towards him, complete with a blanket probably for the raft, "I came as soon as the storm lightened up. "She unfolded the cloth and covered the bottom. Kairi looked a little odd to him for some reason. She seemed nervous, but that was understandable.

"Where's Sora?"

Riku rose an eyebrow.

"He should be home." He replied, a little suspicious. Kairi sighed a breath of…relief?

"Good. I just thought that since his boat was here, he might have came with you…"

But he brought Sora's boat with him! Pushing himself off the mast, he growled.

"You're kidding me! I told him to stay home!"

"I have a really bad feeling about this…we need to find him!" She urged and she didn't have to tell him twice. Riku started off, but Kairi halted him.

"Wait! I'll stick by the docks while you search for Sora." He nodded, and Kairi made her way towards the tunnel. He ran through the shack, entering the other part of the beach, calling Sora's name. Only the ocean breeze and the swaying of the palm trees answered his call. This wasn't entertaining, not that it was in the first place.

A sound of stone against nails penetrated the natural symphony near the secret place. His head jerked to the origin, and saw a shape move.

"Sora?" He called again, but Sora didn't acknowledge him. Mentally cursing, he followed after and into the tunnel, groping the rocky walls for support. The scratching became louder as he entered the room.

The moonlight brightly shone even through the small crack in the ceiling. The moonbeams illuminated the dim room around them, reflecting off the small puddles on the floor, and the permanent chalk lines scribbled on the walls.

There on the floor sat Sora, propped up against the locked door with a jagged rock in hand. He smiled innocently as they caught each other's eyes.

"Heh heh, hi Riku." He sheepishly said. Riku gave him a glare.

"Sora! What are you doing here?"

"I went after you 'cause I thought you might have needed some help with the raft…but, I dunno, this place called out to me…" Sora closed his eyes and yawned.

"Well, come on, we have to get home…hey, what's this?" Riku leaned towards the door, peering at the odd lock. This definitely wasn't there before! He reached towards the crafted metal, but something slapped his hand away. He let out a small gasp and watched as Sora guiltily lowered his hand. The boy lowered his head in shame.

"I'm sorry… but you can't touch it! Something bad will happen if this door opens."

He peered at the self-proclaimed protector of the door and something clicked in deepest depths of his mind. This whole scenario was familiar and completely foreign at the same time. Selphie always mentioned something about Sora being special, and Kairi had the dead-set impression that Sora was impossible to hate. What exactly was his best friend?

"Sora…"

Without warning, two arms _phased_ through the door and grabbed Sora around the chest. His friend gasped in surprise and fear from the contact, and suddenly he was picked off the ground. A body started to phase through, pushing its way into the cave.

"Sora!" Riku cried out to the bewildered brunette. The pale abductor snapped his icy eyes open, glaring back.

"Sora's _mine_, you demon." He viciously snarled and held Sora closer. White lights appeared all around, and revealed pale creatures, adorned with a familiar mark on their backs. Sora continued struggling, but to no avail.

"Silly Sora, you think I don't know how to keep you still?" The attacker grinned fondly, his voice in a completely different tone. The remark froze his captive.

"Do I know you?" Sora asked quietly.

Riku stepped forward, but the pale haired boy only snapped backwards.

"Don't you dare!' He hissed, and the white creatures came closer. The blond boy took Sora with him as he back themselves to the door.

"Sora! Give Sora back right now!" Riku yelled, but the kid's pets blocked his path.

"Flailers!" He resounded, "Don't ever let him take Sora away from us again! Take him back to the darkness where he belongs!"

With that, Riku watched as the two faded into the door, which made a thunderous clicking sound. The creatures bombarded him in a flurry in white and black, but he didn't have time to react. Their claws tore at him mercilessly, but they had an odd numbing effect. His mind wasn't on the pain, or how to fight back.

He'd find Sora, no matter what they did to him!

In a burst of light, the flailers were thrown off of him. His chest felt like it was on fire, with liquid electricity running through his arms and legs. A heavy object was clasped in his right hand. The coursing feeling brought him to his knees, and all the sudden, he recognized what he tightly gripped.

Keyblade….Keyblade… 

The shadows around him seem to reverberate the weapon's name in his head in a shallow voice. They feared it…awed it. The tingling feeling dissipated, and he stood.

Kairi stood in the entrance, mortified.

"Stay back!" Riku warned her, as the monsters stretched their bodies in a sick elastic manner, approaching the boy again. One swiped his claws, but Riku parried the attack and slashed horizontally. It was like he'd been using the Keyblade all along in his life…

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kairi reaching into her pockets. She crushed the objects in her fingers, and started mumbling something he couldn't understand.

"Blizzard!" She shouted, throwing the shattered fragments in the air. The temperature dropped around them and the creatures were incased in ice.

"Kairi, what did you-"

"Where's Sora?!" She interrupted fiercely, much to his surprise. She grabbed his arms and almost pulled him face to face. Pain, worry, fear, and anger, all reflected in her voice at once.

"Where is he, Riku?"

He couldn't bring himself to say anything, but it looked as if he didn't need to. She let him go and gazed at the door.

"I was wondering why he wasn't with us…" Kairi mumbled. He was losing his patience quick.

"Who?! What did he do with Sora? What's happening, Kairi?!"

She could only give him a look, before the crystalline statues began to shake. Kairi dug out another item from her pocket, revealing it to be a Thalassa shell. She crushed it in her palm.

"There's no time. Please, you need to find Sora for everyone. That door should take you to Traverse Town!"

The monsters broke free of their prison, and Riku stuck in his place. Kairi eyed him.

"Go!"

"But what about you?" He cried, positioning himself to attack. Kairi gave him an odd look, one with urgency and seriousness. She rose her arm and reached out to him.

Only to blast him back with her mysterious power. He braced himself to hit the door, but the impact never came. Instead, a deep, gutting feeling sprang from his stomach and instead of the liquid fire he felt from the Keyblade, it felt like a painful, biting cold.

And the next thing he knew, the darkness overtook him.

_To be continued…_


	2. Wake up Wake up

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, then lots of stuff would happen, then it would no longer be rated E…don't sue me please!!

Kingdom to Come

Chapter Two: Wake up (Wake up…)

"I love you, Riku." As the liquid blue in his eyes captivated his sea green orbs. If only he realized to what effect those words had on him. He knew Sora meant it in a completely innocent way, but he couldn't help thinking that maybe it was real. It still helped to feel the light, happy feeling, even if it came with the sharp and twisting pain.

"I love you too, Sora." He smiled, but the pain was still evident if one cared to look hard enough. But his object of affections frowned instead of the usual smile that came with the statement.

"No, you don't understand!" He urgently cried and reached out to his hand, but he hesitated. Riku took up the nimble and calloused fingers instead, squeezing them almost desperately. He needed to know that in some way, Sora still accepted him. He didn't want to hear the rejection, even if he had come to accept it. It hurt too much, no matter how his mind prepared for it…

"I _love_ you!" The voice was shaky and desperate, but his eyes strengthened like diamonds and shined like the moon.

"Sora…"

Sora leapt into his arms and burrowed his head into Riku's chest. He wrapped his arms around his love's waist and pulled him closer. He never felt so happy, with his heart beating rapidly and the warmth coming from Sora. This was a thousand times better than his dreams. Everything was okay now…

"I love you." Riku breathed into Sora's hair. Funny, yesterday he would've done everything in his power to stop himself from saying those words, but now he couldn't stop saying it.

Riku pulled Sora away a bit and cupped Sora's cheek. With a loving smile, he pressed his lips against Sora's petal soft ones and savored the taste.

Of course it would only be natural for him to wake up.

In the haziness of his mind, Riku could already tell that this was not his normal surroundings. The ground comprised of hard pebbles instead of sand, and the temperature felt lower than what his warm islands seemed capable of. Possibly Kairi might have used her Blizzard trick again…

But as he opened his eyes, the sight of hard brick a few feet away froze him from the inside. He felt the hilt of the Keyblade still in his hand. Millions of disconnected thoughts raced through his mind, tracing the illusions of his memories and whirling around in turbulence. Among them lied two important details.

He was finally in another world. No more of the boring beauty of the Islands. No more childish wishing. Riku escaped from that alluring trap, and didn't want to go back any time soon.

Sora was nowhere to be found.

Was this the price of his wish? Escape the confines of his island in exchange of his best friend? He wasn't so sure about this adventure anymore.

Enough of this, Riku thought as he regained his senses. If he wanted Sora back, then there was no use just sitting around and reflecting on the past.

Only then, did Riku see the large dog with yellow fur and black ears. Its almost cartoon-ish form stood out from the scenery, with its large and beady eyes watching him in curiousness. He unsteadily reached out to the creature, in which case the large dog sloppily licked his gloved hand.

"Ugh!" The boy withdrew his hand in surprise and a little disgust. The dog only continued to innocently wag his whip-like tail.

"Come on, Pluto!" An odd voice called, and his furry companion perked up. Pluto leapt up from his position and ran out of the alley, barking.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Riku cried, staggering up and after the dog, "I don't know where-"

He stopped in mid-sentence from both the city lights and the inhabitants around. People and creatures he couldn't even imagine walked the streets. His companion from the alleyway happily waited for him with two others. A duck with a magician's suit and a large dog-guy with khaki pants and vest, and carrying a shield. Funny, how they looked as they've seen a ghost.

"It's you!" The duck screeched in disbelief, pointing his wizard staff at him. Come to think about it, both the stranger's details sounded pretty familiar.

"Ahuck! We'll find Sora for sure with your help!" The taller one grinned.

"You know about Sora?!" Riku cried. But if they knew about Sora…

"You're Donald and Goofy…" Dazed by the revelation, the overwhelmed boy ran a hand through his hair. A mental sigh resounded through his head as the now-known fact pounded into the already delicate reality. Things just got messy.

Meanwhile, in a place so distant from the cozy town, the darkness was swimming among itself. It hugged its new toy, so fragile and unusual, full of light and playfulness. However, it kept its distance. The keeper wouldn't like the darkness to taint the toy…

Sora groggily lifted his head and groaned. His sight was a little hazy and his mind felt like a tornado hit it. It took him a while to realize he was sitting in a completely different place.

"Ah!"

He jumped and wildly searched for anything familiar. Darkness loomed all around the wide pathway that led to the large, elegant throne he sat on. Speaking of which, the top of the throne held the most peculiar design of a heart holding the shape of a keyhole. As he craned his neck to see further, something brushed against his hair and fell to the ground with a resounding _clink_!

Nothing couldn't get any stranger, Sora's mind rang as the crown's image innocently sent his brain in loops. It was the same crown from his dreams, as was the throne. But this couldn't be the right place! His dreams always showed grassy fields full of flowers and animals, bordered by a never-ending wall. And the huge door-

As Sora scrambled out of the large throne and took a few cautious steps around it, the air suddenly felt colder, and the darkness felt _threatening_. He did not feel welcome here at all.

This door, by his _life, _was not supposed to be opened.

"I'm glad you're awake." A boy's voice from behind him announced. Sora whirled around, a bit dizzy from the rushing adrenaline in his body. The boy from earlier stood there with the fallen crown in his hands. He didn't look too dangerous…so far.

"What's going on? Who are you?" The confused boy cried. The pale one smiled that same smile from the cave, one filled with a happy reassurance gone wrong.

"It's okay, Sora. We're back home. That demon will never get you again! Leave it to little brother Koro. I'll protect you at all costs!"

At this, Koro formed two Keyblades, both very similar and foreign at the same time. The pearly white weapon glowed in the never-ending darkness, repelling everything evil, while the other gladly seeped in the inky black with hunger.

Oblivion…Oathkeeper… 

He knew these weapons…but he was getting so sleepy…

Sora gripped the arm of the throne for support and fell to his knees. He didn't take his sight off of the mysterious boy, but the darkness started to haze around him. His body wouldn't move.

"It's alright, Sora," He heard the boy say through the thickness, "Go to sleep, and maybe you'll remember me when you wake up."

And he fell.

Although, that was not the case with Kairi, It was early morning in Destiny Islands when she stood in front of Selphie's front door. It seemed that she forgot the meaning of sleep, with rings underneath her eyes. That didn't deter her at all, nor would it in the future. Kairi already decided what she needed to do.

Her knocking finally ceased when a tired brunette girl opened the door. Rubbing her eye with one hand and clutching her blanket in the other, Selphie tiredly looked at her friend.

"Kairi? What are you doing? It's 6:30 in the morning." She yawned, but soon grew a bit attentive with worry.

"Are you okay? It looks like you didn't get a wink of sleep-"

"I need you to come out here for a minute." Kairi more or less ordered, but not without a small apologetic tone. Selphie complied with a shrug and stepped out of her house in front of Kairi.

"Thanks. Now repeat after me."

It was an odd request, but the girl decided to obey. If Kairi was doing this this early in the morning, looking like she was zombie, it must've been important.

"Princess of shadows…"

"Princess of shadows…"

The air around her felt…tingly almost. The prickling sensation tapped at her brain and she couldn't hear right. The waves didn't reach her ears anymore, but the words from Kairi's mouth rolled into her voice. For some reason, she didn't want to stop.

"Of who links and binds…"

"Of who links and binds…"

She grasped the remaining words that were in the deepest reaches in her mind all along. Kairi's voice reverberated with hers as they chanted the last verse.

"Bind the chain of memories that I've lost in time!"

A small pause resumed between the girls, with Kairi peering at Selphie, who closed her eyes. The ocean waves pulled in and out of the island as the seagulls sang their delicate song of the morning.

Selphie snapped open her eyes and smiled at her friend.

"Good morning, princess. What did Sora do this time?" Kairi gave a small nod and an apologetic smile.

"Sorry I had to wake you up."

"Nah, it's okay, princess! It'll be like old times again! Well, sorta. "But whatever thoughts ran through the brunette's head didn't stop as Selphie cheered and skipped around.

"What did I tell you about calling me princess? Especially now?"

"Old habits die hard, princess!" She teased, and dragged Kairi down the road. "It's time to wake Tidus and Wakka up!"

And suddenly Kairi realized that it was six thirty in the morning. She didn't expect to wake everyone else up yet, but she should've known that Selphie wouldn't have it either way.

And neither would Goofy and Donald when it came to explain everything to Riku. Currently, they were at the accessory shop along with a man named Cid. The small shop proved a little cramped, but at least they were warm with the fireplace going, thanks to Donald's fire spell. The Keyblade disappeared, but Donald mentioned that he could summon it at his will.

But that wasn't important right now. From what he could get from Donald's fast talk and Goofy's interrupting, Sora's dreams weren't just dreams.

"Here kid." Cid's gruff voice cut of the spluttering duck and the cheerful dog, dropping a large book on the counter. "This'll tell ya all you need without them two yapping their traps off."

Sliding over to counter, Riku traced the lettering on the dusty cover with his fingers. The Aristocratic twirls spelled out the title.

Ansem's Report. Hopefully it was more interesting than it sounded. He opened the ancient thing to a random page. The scrawled handwriting reminded him somewhat of Kairi's.

"…however when I tried to explain it to some foreigners, I only succeeded to confuse them. Perhaps if I explain it here in writing? I shall try my hand at it."

"Every single soul born within Kingdom Hearts shall not die at all, merely stop aging at whatever age we choose. This ability comes from the land itself. We are directly connected to it, therefore we care for the land greatly. One would think that this would cause overpopulation, but this is not so."

Kingdom Hearts…funny name. And oddly recognizable. Riku sighed heavily before continuing.

"Instead, whenever it is time for a person of Kingdom Hearts to 'pass on', our hearts are simply transferred. The body disappears, and according to local legend, returns to the land. We firmly believe, however, that our hearts go beyond Kingdom Hearts, and possibly to other realms. We have no physical evidence of this, but we may not need evidence. Our hearts are strong enough to believe in our beloved kingdom. We do, nevertheless, have a long life span…"

The rest of the page was filled with scribbled equations and a few more explanations. Riku shut the book and turned it over.

"I don't get it. What does this have to do with Sora? And what about the Keyblade?"

"It's all in there! Don't be so lazy and read, ya brat." Cid retorted. Riku glared at him before opening near the back of the book.

"Whatever, gramps." He mumbled, and the older man grunted in reply. The scrawled writing called out to him again and he ran his finger over the smooth pages.

"…the Kingdom Key has chosen the new ruler of Kingdom Hearts. He's only a young boy, about six years of age. Sora is a child with extraordinary light. He is certainly blessed with the kingdom's grace. Although he is too young by my standards, I fully expect great things from King Sora…"

Filled with the startling information, Riku quickly shut the book. Couldn't this all be a complete coincidence? The Sora in this book and his Sora couldn't possibly be the same person. His Sora was a goofy, stubborn, wildly naïve kid. Sora couldn't be a king even if he had the best royal court and step-by-step instructions.

"This has got to be all wrong." He slammed the book and stood up. There was no way anything like this could happen.

"Why not?" Goofy simply asked, but Riku only made his way out the door, leaving the three alone in the shop.

"That boy's got a lot of problems." Cid grumbled as he chewed on the butt of his cigar.

"You don't even know the half of it." Donald replied, grabbing the heavy book from the counter. He peered at the faded cover before shoving it over to Goofy, who easily picked it up.

"He hasn't changed much after a couple hundred years…he's still has that cocky attitude."

Donald's statement surprised the old man, not that he'd show it much. Raising an eyebrow towards the duck, he threw impressed whistle.

"So you guys are the real deal, huh? Heh, I guess that's what I get for being 12th generation. "

But the silver haired boy was trying to block out the disturbing facts in his head. Apparently, the city sights weren't fascinating enough, though some of the strange inhabitants walking around did prove a bit uplifting.

He sat on the steps of the Accessory shop, watching the people go on with their daily lives. Riku bitterly laughed at the situated irony fate placed him in. Wasn't this adventure supposed to be fun? Not the for-all-ages friendly kind-that would be too boring, of course. More like a bit of conflicts and strengthening of relationships, or something like that. He was supposed to have his friends with him, dammit!

However, a loud crash pulled the boy out of his reverie. He glanced up at the now open doors from the second district, filled with black ant-like creatures. This apparently wasn't a normal routine either, since people started fleeing from the swarming mass. A scream erupted from the square and he sprinted to the noise instinctively. The Keyblade came to him in a split second, just in time to block the oncoming attack.

They reminded him of those _things_ that took Sora! He pushed off the creature's claws and swiped through it's abdomen in one smooth motion, Its body burst into a million particles and dissipated in the air in front of him.

He guessed the little buddy's pals didn't like that, as they started swarming around him instead of that girl. He quickly parried the nearest one and dodged to the left, narrowly missing another's claws. Pushing the next opponent aside, he made a break away out of the mob.

"Fire!" A masculine voice called out, and a fiery meteor crashed into the black mass. Riku turned to the source; a man clad in black, carrying a weapon that looked like a sword and a gun at the same time met his sight. He looked carefully guarded and lax all at once.

That was an odd man and he hadn't even known the guy for 30 seconds.

To be continued…

A/N: Okay, I am _awfully appalled_ at how long I've been dwelling on this chapter, so I figured it'd be a good time to leave off so I can pick up faster. On another note, I'm learning Japanese from online! Ah…I hope you don't kill me for this being so late. I'll be better next time! Nyah! If I don't then you can all poke me with sharp objects till I update! Yeah…


	3. Meetings

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, then lots of stuff would happen, then it would no longer be rated E…don't sue me please!

Kingdom to Come

Chapter Three: Meetings

As both the mysterious man and the unwilling teenager slaughtered the attacking black mob, a slim girl expertly watched the battle from above a building. Lucky for her, that boy jumped in before the heartless got to her first. Hey, she was unprepared-that cursed moogle was bothering her again! Besides, she was sure that she could've gotten out of that rut by herself anyway.

Defending her "super-expert-number-one-ninja" title from herself, she watched the remaining heartless dissipate into the air. She couldn't see what the pretty-boy fought with, but something about his style and length of the weapon caught her eye. It sure wasn't a showpiece sword, that's for sure. The ninja quietly whistled, of course not enough that Squall could hear her (that would be an insult to her hiding skills), and made a mental note about it later.

Oh, wait…if there was a later. Geez, what was Squall's problem? That kid just helped him kick shadow butt!

And on the ground, Riku was thinking in a similar fashion. What did he do to piss _this_ guy off?

"You shouldn't be toying with dangerous things like that, kid." The stoic man gestured to the Keyblade. Riku growled lowly, both from the insult and sheer defense for the weapon.

"What are you talking about?" He sneered back, moving into an attacking stance. The leather-clad adult swung the gun-blade through the air.

"In other words, I'm asking you to give it to me."

_He said that like it as if I had an option_, Riku's mind sarcastically spat. The silver haired boy glared daggers at the man.

"Say please!" Riku cried out as he sprinted towards the guy. It may have not been the best course of action, but he didn't really care. Metal grinded against metal and halted.

"Listen, you brat! I need you to get away from this key!" The seemingly stoic man barked, making Riku pause in a small confusion. That small pause was enough to push the silver haired boy back and whack him on the head with the blunt of his gunblade.

Stumbling back, Riku gave him a feral glare. His vision doubled from the impact and it was becoming increasingly hard to balance. His grip tightened on the weapon in his hands before quietly passing out on the cold, hard pavement.

He stood before the collapsed kid, eyeing the blade that shimmered in the perpetual night of Traverse town. If this was Sora, then he secretly wondered how the Kingdom ruled before…

"I think you overdid it, Squall," A feminine voice he knew so well expressed behind him. Squall shifted his gaze over to the dark haired ninja.

"I mean, damn! I heard the crack of his skull from all the way from the top of the building!" She exclaimed, half in amusement, half in concern. Taking a few steps towards their fallen "comrade", her eyes widened at the sight of the Keyblade.

"It's Leon," He corrected icily to the thief. "And get Aerith. Things were worse than I thought."

"Uh…right." Without breaking her gaze at the boy and his unusual weapon, she slipped into the night.

Everything melded into darkness, Riku realized. Colors, shapes, even his own thoughts and feeling meshed into one giant blob of dark mass. Maybe that was his mind playing tricks on him…after all, whatever happened with that guy didn't go over too well.

He peered down at the floor-a green, soft meadow of grass had appeared sometime- and regained some sense. Riku blinked at the new scenery that invaded his sight.

"Riku!" A high-pitched squeal cried out and suddenly he was tackled to the ground. He didn't need to be told who that was.

What he didn't understand was why he didn't feel the contact with the ground, or the silly brunette that sat ontop of him.

"Ah, hello to you too, Selphie." His voice carried through, but he didn't really _say_ it. His mouth twitched into a half grin, half smirk against his own will. It was like his body was on autopilot.

Selphie grinned and cocked her head to the side. Oh, he knew that look. It was that curious I-know-something-you-know-but-you-need-to-tell-me-anyway smirk.

"Sooo…" She eluded with that annoying grin, " I heard you and Sora-sama were pretty close a couple weeks ago."

Riku frowned both mentally and physically. The first thing that confused him was Selphie's add-on to Sora's name. The other was what she was talking about in the first place. Him and Sora? Together? His thoughts shifted to that one sweet and torturous dream, but that didn't have any relevance to this…whatever it was.

Was this a dream?

"Who told you that?" His body spoke for him, but it didn't sound nearly as convincing, even to himself. If Selphie was Selphie, she would pick that up immediately. In which it seemed she did.

"A birdie." Her grin turned evil for a few seconds, then her expression turned to a dreamy state.

"Oh, it seemed like only yesterday that you came! There you were, all confused and dazed, and Sora ran right up and tackled you from behind. What a cute sight!"

"That was only because-"

"I don't care what made it happen. I swear it was love at first sight!" The girl sighed, allowing him to push her off and stand. He could see a giant stone wall in the background, so high that he couldn't see the end and so long that it disappeared into the horizon. He couldn't tell much detail, but he supposed that was due to his eyes focusing on Selphie.

A defeated sigh emitted from his lips and Riku would've hit himself if he had the chance. How can he-or his other mind-give in so easy? Well, not that it would matter with Selphie.

"Yes, it happened. I don't think it was that long ago, though." Funny, now his mouth twitched oddly, as if it were trying to suppress a grin.

The hyper brunette squealed and clapped her hands, instantly gripping onto Riku's legs. He fell from the loss of balance, but he didn't hit the ground. Instead, he kept falling.

And everything returned to darkness.

As for Kairi and Selphie, the sun could never be brighter, although that was partially because it was near afternoon. Selphie managed to drag both Tidus and Wakka out of their homes during the wee hours in the morning. Somehow, the hyper girl also got them to the gateway island. Kairi had never felt so tired.

"Ah, we did all want to see the ocean some day, didn't we?" Tidus stated with his boyish grin and his hands interlocked behind his head.

"Ya man; it's wonderful. But it kinda makes ya homesick, you know?" Wakka replied, gazing at the endless blue. He had his blitz ball safely lodged under his arm.

"You're forgetting guys," Selphie piped from behind. Kairi just stared at the trio.

"This is our home now." The girl continued. It was a cryptic statement coming from Selphie, Kairi mused. Cryptic, but true. The boys nodded in response.

"Yeah. I guess it is…" The blonde mused with a tad bit of wonder. A small silence washed over them, letting each mind to settle their recent predicament. No one wanted to hear the real reason they were here. They knew it already; in fact, they prepared extensively for this. But it was so hard to understand. This was a world they knew all their waking lives, yet it felt so new to them. This was the impassable borderline from their Kingdom, yet this was the only place they knew.

Kairi silently thanked her magic, the Kingdom, and the knowledge of her past life.

"So Princess, what's going on?" One of the boys broke the silence. She didn't recognize who said it, since she wasn't expecting it so fast, but that didn't matter. All eyes were on her.

"Something's happened here, and I'm not quite sure what it was." Kairi lamely stated. Selphie rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. The girl smiled good naturedly, but she couldn't mask the nervousness completely.

"We know that already, silly!"

"What I mean is that something went wrong with one of the worlds. And I'm guessing it has to do with ours…"

Another silence, although tenser, filled the air. Tidus ripped it away with a direct, painful, very blunt statement.

"But our Kingdom was destroyed."

Everyone winced.

"Yes," Kairi rasped through her suddenly dry mouth, "But not everyone made it here."

And instantly, the trio's eyes flashed. Yes, they've all realized it now.

"Where's Sora?" Selphie gasped before the rest of them could ask. Kairi shook her head.

"It's too late now. He took him through the door. I sent Riku through to try to catch up."

"What!" The three rang out in chorus, and Kairi winced. Yes, her lack of sleep really didn't help.

"Do you know how dangerous-"

"Nooo! Kairi! How could you do-"

"Riku hasn't even finished his training, ya!-"

Everyone was talking at once, drowning out the last of her patience. The anxiety over the last few hours finally snapped and her habits came delved out from the recesses of her mind. Her back straightened as a chill crawled up her spine. Her head snapped up to attention.

"_Silence!_" The princess demanded, and the air became a tad bit colder, filled with the regalty of the princess' voice. The three immediately stopped and let out a sheepish "yes, princess". Kairi sighed. For them, the adventure just started.

Hours passed by before Riku awoke.

He knew he was awake this time, at least. He was laying on something soft, which he might have figured was a bed. And the mumbling noises grew louder as seconds passed by.

Riku mentally crossed his fingers and hoped to find his bedroom ceiling.

"Garrh! Wake up already! Hey, Squall, can't I just slap him awake?"

That particular sentence snapped Riku's eyes wide open, making him take in the sight of a scrawny girl with short black hair. He meant to retort, but only ended up groaning from the pain shooting through his head.

"Careful now," Another woman from the odd room warned. Her voice reminded him of a gentle mother talking to a baby. Riku waited for the dizziness to pass and sat up.

"Who are you?" It may have not been the most important question at the moment, but it was a decent one. The scrawny one smirked.

"This is Aerith," She jabbed her thumb towards the pink clad lady with interesting colored eyes. She bowed her head in greeting with a warm smile.

"That jerk over there is Squall-"

"-Leon-"

"-_Leon_, " She rolled her eyes at his cold correction as he only shook his head.

"And I'm the great ninja Yuffie!" The girl said with pride. He remembered her!

"You're the girl I saved from those monsters!" He declared and crossed his arms. Yuffie faltered and glared indignantly at him.

"Yeah, well I could've saved myself. Even if you are Sora, don't doubt my ninja skills!"

It took a few seconds for Riku to process her sentence before replying darkly.

"I'm not Sora."

He didn't know what startled them. Yuffie's eyes widened, just a Aerith's smile turned into a frown. Leon didn't show any real sign of surprise, but he did raise an eyebrow. The thick tension in the room strangled him.

"Then you must be Koro!" The young girl cried.

"My name is Riku!" The silver the aqua eyed one snapped. There was another pause between them, before Yuffie snorted.

"You can't be!"

"And why not?" He sneered. The ninja leaned over him and stared him straight in the eyes. Her face set itself in an intimidating stance as she placed her hands over her hips.

"Because you have Sora's Keyblade. If you really were Riku, you'd have a black Keyblade with a red hilt and we'd all be dead."

She peered into his never-wavering gaze as if she were searching through his soul. Within an instant, Yuffie reached into her pouch and had the edge of her Kunai against his throat. Riku made sure to keep very still.

"Yuffie!" Aerith gasped in horror and pulled Yuffie's arms back. The ninja struggled to escape from the older lady's grasp, still glaring at him like a hawk.

"Let me go! If he's Riku, then we should kill him on the spot before anything happens!"

"We don't know anything for sure!" Aerith pleaded.

"Yuffie! Calm down." Leon wrapped his large hands around her skinny arms, effectively subduing the girl. She stopped struggling and went semi-limp.

"You better not harm Sora," She spat viciously, and Riku's hairs stood on the back of his neck. Regardless of Leon holding her back, and her small appearance, she still looked lethal. " Don't you lay one finger on him, or so help me for all creation, I'll hunt you down, slit your throat, and hang you from piano wire. "

That same fierce look equaled the one who took Sora.

"Who's Koro?" He asked quietly, but still sharp. He could understand completely about the protective streak when it came to Sora. He, in fact, was also a victim of the feeling. But this girl had never been to the islands that he knew of, much less know Sora. He would've told something about them, wouldn't he?

"Koro…in Ansem's report, our liege Sora had a little brother. He was one of the guardians to the Kingdom and the King, along with his older sister Kairi." Aerith explained once she was confident enough to let go of the ninja.

"Did Koro have blonde hair? And light blue eyes?"

"Ansem never described anyone in detail other than overall age, personality, and ability." Leon added with his stoic voice.

Riku delved into his memory for anything he could refer to. When whoever it was took Sora, he was able summon monsters, didn't he? The dark symbol on their heads contrasted the pale armor as their elastic bodies twisted abnormally. Their name was locked in his head.

"What about Flailers?"

"The Flailers could only be summoned by one with another Keyblade, called the Oathkeeper. Koro owned it."

Riku decided enough was enough and pushed himself off the bed. Yuffie growled as he walked pass to the doorway that Leon was previously blocking.

"Where are you going?"

"I need to find Donald and Goofy. They can help me." Riku gave them a small wave and pushed the door open.

And met face-to-face with his comrades. He crossed his arms and gave them a look.

"Hey, Riku!" Goofy grinned, well, goofily. Donald tapped his foot impatiently.

"Don't run away like that again!" The duck spurted out. Like it would make a difference…and it wasn't like they needed to keep tabs on him like a child. If they really wanted to keep him, they'd better catch up.

"Where would Koro be?" He asked roughly. Dammit, he wanted to take Sora, go back home, and start the adventure like it was supposed to be.

"Koro?" Goofy repeated, It was odd; even though Riku didn't know Goofy that much, he knew that the narrowed look was not normal.

"Why would ya wanna know a thing like that?"

"Because," He replied to the large dog. Goofy looked comical with his serious expression, but this wasn't the time to laugh. "Wherever he is, that's where Sora will be."

A/N: Stopping here again, well…'cause I have way too much stuff going on at the moment. Sorry for the lack of quality, but that's what happens when you have 5 school projects dumped on you at once

Anyway, R&R! Your reviews keep me motivated!


	4. Missing Memories

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, then lots of stuff would happen, then it would no longer be rated E…don't sue me please!

Kingdom to Come

Chapter Four: Missing Memories

…He never meant for any of this.

He didn't remember everything…in fact, he only remembered a small bit of "the end". Was he supposed to call it the end? It would make sense, but then again, he was here, so it wasn't a _real_ ending.

He felt the darkness. He heard them cry out and painfully received their talons scraping on the barriers of his mind. They wanted to be heard, seen, felt. They desired the very essence of his living soul. The Keyblade helped him; they silenced their cries with a calm, absolute power. The Keyblade understood them, but at the same time salvaged him from their grasp.

It was like the Keyblade was their creator and destroyer. Their God.

How on Earth could he be so _stupid?_

He should've known Riku would follow him! And if that wasn't enough, Riku was hurt! How could he forget something so simple and easy to remember?

But at the same time, he needed to go into the darkness…or something bad would've happened. He just didn't know what would happen.

"_Nonono…"_ His clamped eyes held back his tears. "_There's no reason to feel this bad. It's all a dream. Now wake up and see what Koro is doing."_ But as much as he tried, he couldn't will away the immense sorrow for some unknown reason. It felt like he let everyone down.

Who was "everyone"?

He forced his eyes open, fearing for a split second that he was in that nightmare, but the small island of meadow, which had grown a bit, reassured him. Still, the darkness was the same. Koro stood a few yards away on the edge of the small cove, muttering things.

"Koro?" His dry voiced cracked. Gods, he felt drugged. His clothes rustled from the contact with the throne as he sat up and prayed his vision would clear.

Koro twirled around and grinned. He almost looked normal for a second…

"Big brother! You're awake!" But the boy opened his icy eyes and that look was back again.

"What are you doing?" Sora tried to keep the suspicion out of his voice the best he could. Luckily Koro didn't notice.

"Ah, they're telling me the demon's come looking for you." He replied, and his gaze turned fierce. But the gaze landed on the huge doors, not him. Somehow, his icy eyes appeared even more frightening than before.

"Don't worry. I won't let him get far."

Demon…did he mean Riku? Was Riku looking for him?

"Who is the demon? What do you mean?"

For once, the little one hesitated to speak. He bore a look of seriousness and muttered something under his breath.

"You shouldn't be near him." Koro warned. Sora felt a chill run down his spine.

"It's his fault the Kingdom fell. He should've never been here."

That arose two very important facts in Sora's head.

One: He now knew who "everyone" was. Kingdom, the crown that adorned his head, the throne. Although he didn't know what the door's purpose was, it would explain the odd behavior towards Riku in the secret place. How many people

But that would mean he'd have to be the King. And that was crazy-talk.

Two: He still didn't know for sure who Koro was talking about. For whatever the reason, the younger boy avoided Riku's name like the plague. He also avoided anything else important, for that matter. And it was getting annoying-fast.

Still, he had no clue how to escape. This wasn't his usual sneaking out of the house at night. This place couldn't even be considered a _place_. They were just…in the middle of nowhere.

Koro turned his back and continued muttering to the darkness while Sora hoped for a miracle.

And apparently, Sora wasn't the only one. Kairi hoped that she'd either pass out so she could sleep or escape from the plotting teens to get some shut-eye. But no…if it wasn't for everything at stake, she wouldn't have been planning to find her friends. It was sundown now, and the tides started their rebellion on the shore. They crashed onto the beach with a gentle caress and the sky kindled a fire with a brush of reds, pinks, and blues. The foursome sat on the beach, heatedly discussing their course of action.

"We should go after them!" Selphie firmly declared. Her defiant eyes bore into their minds, but they paid no heed.

"But we can't do that, Selphie!" Tidus crossed hotly. He stood over her as his glare challenged hers.

"Why not!"

"Because the people here will notice! Besides, we don't know what lies in the surrounding areas around the Kingdom anymore!"

"We need backup, ya?" Wakka piped in, trying to avoid any further screaming. "If we don't know what's in the other countries, we should check."

"We can't do that if we don't check! We have to go sometime!" The angry brunette cried, as her death glare shifted from Tidus to him.

"Ugh, _enough!_" Kairi finally called and all three stares shifted to her. She stood in front of the disgruntled teens and crossed her arms. She was tired. She was hungry. She was worried, above all. And they _weren't _going to start an argument.

"Listen-" She started roughly, but she sighed and lowered her voice. "I know it's frustrating, but if we want to find Sora or Riku, we'll have to wait. We don't have the energy to open the door-at least I don't- and we can't leave our parents without any knowledge of where we are or anything. It's not wise to walk out saying 'Oh, I'm going on a walk, be back a few days' either. So for now, we are going to plan out what our route is and gather supplies we need for the journey. Is that _clear_?"

They stared at her for a moment before Selphie gave her an apologetic frown.

"We're sorry, princess."

And they simultaneously bowed to her. She rolled her eyes and headed off toward her boat.

"I told you guys to stop bowing to me, or call me princess. I'm not a princess anymore!" Kairi ranted as she walked. What she didn't see was Selphie's impish grin.

"Whatever you say, princess!"

Meanwhile, Riku had problems of his own. He couldn't bring himself to completely disregard Aerith's offer.

"Let us come with you." She said while he stood at the doorway. Yuffie let out an indignant cry, muttering about having another show-off in the party while Leon simply waited for him to reply.

"_We know the way there, and we have a few contacts in the other regions." Aerith continued. He looked back at his comrades for opinions._

"_Do you know the way there?" The silver haired boy asked the duck. Donald glared back at him and tapped his webbed foot._

"_Of course I do!"_

_It took him a few seconds to ponder it over, but he turned back to others inside the room._

"_Let me think about it."_

So there he was, sitting alone outside the hotel, silently debating whether tagging along with Aerith, the coldhearted stoic man, and the annoying ninja girl would be a decent option. As if handling Donald and Goofy wasn't enough.

If he went on his own-with Donald and Goofy, of course- he'd have the advantage of a small group. He didn't know if that Koro kid was a one-time deal or not, but he didn't want to find out. It would be easier to pass by unnoticed, especially when they closed in on the area he held Sora. What was the saying again? _Two's company, but three's a crowd._ And he already had one extra.

But if he did let them tag along, and if what they said was true, then he'd have the advantage of resources. They've known the area longer than him, obviously. And contacts…they could come in handy. But was tagging along with that irritable ninja girl and Leon worth it? Aerith didn't get on his nerves that much, but even she couldn't make up for the other two. Though they would be helpful in combat…

He didn't have enough time to wonder about who traveled with him! Goodness knows what Koro's done to Sora. He didn't want to even think about it.

But he couldn't stop himself, because he really missed Sora right now.

Riku and Sora. Sora and Riku. On the islands, you wouldn't see one without the other. Sora wasn't the smartest kid on the block, nor was he the strongest. But Sora was-IS-Sora, and there was no other way to describe it. Sora's heart could fit the whole world inside and still have room. And somehow, Sora managed to slip through every single defense he had and settled himself a place in Riku's soul.

But now, Riku felt almost empty. He missed Sora's laugh, or his pouts when Riku refused to rematch him for the fifth time. He missed Sora's stupid grin and the messy chocolate spikes he called hair. He missed Sora's stubbornness, of all things. He missed how the sunlight reflected off of him when the boy lazily sketched the ocean on the island. He missed how Sora cheered him up.

Most of all, he missed that all Sora had to do was stare straight into his soul and gently smile at him.

"Hey, Riku! Are you awake, buddy?"

Goofy shook his shoulder and realized he closed his eyes during his thoughts. Quickly masking his surprise, Riku shook his head to clear any lingering memories and stood up.

"Come on, Goofy, let's get back to Aerith and the others. I have my answer."

Because it was what Sora would have done.

To be continued… 

A/N: Yeah, I know this is a bit short, but at least I updated faster! It seemed like a good idea to stop at this point, and I'm figuring out a few quirks along the storyline. Woot, I'm getting slowly back on track!


	5. Overcome

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, then lots of stuff would happen, then it would no longer be rated E…don't sue me please!

Kingdom to Come 

Chapter Five: Overcome

An odd noise pricked Riku's ears.

Leon unsheathed his gun-blade, and fell into an attacking stance. His senses sharpened at the sound of the scraping of steel against the sheath, and the Keyblade summoned itself to his hands. The shadowed puddles on the floor convulsed and rose, creating the heartless' bodies.

"Thunder!" Aerith cried, and the battle began.

In a flurry of eerie green orbs and particles, Riku swung his weapon against the nearest enemy. The blade came in contact with the synthetic flesh, obliterating it almost instantly. He twisted the weapon in his hand skillfully, taking out the next opponent who dared to stop him. The sounds of battle urged him on in his dance, possessed him almost, as his fluid movements dealt fatal blows to his opponents.

Donald cleared out the last of the shadows using fire, and everyone slowly relaxed. Riku hadn't even sported a cut on himself, much to everyone's wonder. Then again, they weren't the hardest to beat.

"This way," Leon commanded, leading them through the thick underbrush of the jungle. The humid atmosphere and the tropical plants made Riku nostalgic for his island

…Almost.

He hacked down the hindrances with the Keyblade as was Leon, to clear a path for the others. The brushed seemed never-ending; at least the plants at home didn't attack when people passed through-although Yuffie had no problem moving through the dense foliage at all.

"Hey, I spot the tree house ahead!" Yuffie cried from atop a tree, practically giving the birds a heart attack. Riku secretly pitied the poor animals.

"No time for that," Leon remarked. He pulled out his weapon and the familiar sounds of the darkness reached Riku's ears. The keyblade summoned to his hand immediately, and he violently pushed all thoughts of home away.

And just as he had done that, those thoughts crashed back into his mind with a force that made him stagger back a step.

And it was because Sora's kidnapper decided to pay him a visit.

The failers guarded him on each side, and another type of monster-ones with an ape-like appearance and disposition- surrounded the group. Leon, Aerith, and Yuffie fell into attacking stances, but the kidnapper paid no attention to the others it seemed, and only had eyes on him.

Which suited Riku just fine.

The blond boy stepped forward and glared at him with the most serious expression he could muster. The jungle fell silent right then, which rang the loudest in Riku's ears. He held out a hand and summoned an intricate black weapon that seemed to shimmer even in the dull light that flooded the forest floor. Something about the black crown that dangled from the hilt made his heart pang slightly.

"I've come to rid of you," The boy bared his teeth, much like an animal, "You will no longer plague Sora."

He scoffed and raised his own weapon.

"I think you're mistaken. _You're_ the one plaguing Sora."

At that time, Sora wasn't thinking about plagues in the form of people. Instead, the brunette dreamed of something not quite reachable...

_Flowers, all around him. He could feel the soft whispers of the petals against his skin. The gentle fragrance danced around him in a teasing manner. _

_It was warm; he could feel the sun. It greeted his body like an old friend, wrapping him in a hug._

_He couldn't move, let alone see. He knew he was laying down at least, since the small plants cushioned him like a bed. So soft..._

_A familiar touch. Someone held his face gently, as if he himself was a flower. The hand was so warm and tender. Was it an angel?_

_A voice. A smooth, silky, gentle and warm sound. The melody plucked at his heart and pulled all other senses to it like an illustrious siren._

"_Sora, wake up." _

He did so, with a jolt.

No, he still remained captive in the dark, cold place. The open doors stood dejectedly behind him, ever watchful and in cursed mourning. He cursed the splitting headache that pounded at his head. If he was lucky, maybe there would be painkillers somewhere.

As his vision slowly focused, he noticed that the island grew even more. Now it was covering a good part of the gray, moldy-looking path ahead. That proved to be one good factor. Unless the vegetation had deadly poisons or other harmful materials, he was glad that it covered the dreary area.

A stray thought popped into his mind as his eyes traveled along the snake-like pathway. Where was Koro? Did he have a chance to run away? Was there enough time?

But the headache disagreed with Sora and caused him to groan in pain. It wasn't a smart thing to do when you have no relevant information of your surroundings and you felt like a rag doll. At least he was most likely safe here….

Which certainly not the case with Riku.

He barely had enough time to block the blow that the kidnapper dealt. The Keyblade hummed in protest against the mysterious blade, and the sound made Riku flinch.

"Where did you get this!" The blond screeched at him. In surprise, Riku pushed him off and resumed his stance.

"What do you mean?" He yelled back in frustration.

The boy's look darkened as he glowered at Riku with the utmost hatred a human could muster. He motioned to the Keyblade with his own. Along with their ragged breathing, the sounds of fighting filled the short pause.

"You stole it from him! That's why he doesn't remember!"

_Steal? Remember?_

Riku parried another lightening fast attack with mild success but lost his footing in the process. Just as his attacker moved forward, he flipped into him, effectively pushing the other onto the ground. He straddled Koro down and held the Keyblade to his throat.

"Tell me where Sora is." Riku demanded. The uneasy tingling he felt since he left the islands grew stronger, almost whispering him to slit the boy's throat. He held the weapon firmly, yet his body shivered.

Koro gave him a look that said everything. Fierce determination burned within, along with loathing and anger. That expression rivaled even his own, and he faltered for the slightest moment-

"_No_."

Riku was violently thrown off when another pearly white blade appeared in the blonde's hand. It glowed with both defiance and harmony alongside the Oblivion.

Riku had a hard time trying to understand how he fathomed that name.

"You don't remember anything either, do you?" He made it sound like a threat as he made his way towards the fallen boy. Riku only groaned in response. His head felt like it collapsed within itself. The only thing that registered was the dangerous blade that waited above him, ready to take his life.

"Fire!"

A large ball of flames collided with the dark blade, making the attacker to stumble back. He vaguely registered Donald's screechy voice.

"Koro!" The duck chastised as Goofy finished off the last heartless. The boy froze to the call and turned to stare at the two.

"What are **you guys** doing here!"

As much as he hated to admit it, Koro acted just a bit like Sora when they were little. If he wasn't trying to kill him, he might have been a bit nicer.

"Koro! Stop doing this and tell us what you did with our liege!"

He only sneered and pointed the Oath Keeper at him.

"You have no more power over me, Royal Magician. Our Kingdom's fallen, and Sora is the only one who can regain it. Just what are you trying to accomplish, bringing the destroyer with you!"

For a fraction of a second, everything froze.

"How _dare you!_ I would never go against my liege's orders, or his Majesty!(1)" Donald raged and started forward, only to be held back by Goofy.

"Koro, why are you doing this?" The dog pleaded. Koro's expression softened for a moment.

"Goofy, you've seen him fight! You should know what he's capable of. You should know!"

"It wasn't his fault."

"YES IT WAS!" He cried out desperately, and the keyblade flashed to life. Tendrils of light twisted around the pale metal and formed a sphere around the tip. Donald readied his staff and started his spell while Goofy stood in front and presented his large shield.

"ARS ARC-" Something zoomed past and swiped Koro's arm, dispelling the ability. The spear buried itself in front of Riku's feet.

The keyblades disappeared from Koro's hands as everyone's attention turned to a man sporting nothing but a loin cloth. Yuffie, who had been fighting in the trees, landed next to him.

The man grunted a series of noises, while overlooking the floor.

"&! Not friend." He said, peering at the pale boy. Koro almost growled as he pressed his hand against the wound. The headache Riku had seemed to disappear with the keyblades, but the small voice still put strange thoughts into his head.

Riku took his own keyblade and held it against Koro's back.

"If I were you, I wouldn't try anything."

Now circled by the group and injured, Koro gritted his teeth and curled up his fists.

"You won't catch me." With that, he twirled around and knocked the Keyblade away. Koro had faded out of the jungle.

As Aerith and Donald healed everyone's wounds, the primitive man and Yuffie landed back onto the ground. The ninja stopped in front of Riku as she rose an eyebrow at him.

"You know, if it hadn't been for Tarzan, who knows what that kid would've done to you. He had the right idea, except for the whole kidnapping Sora part. Sheesh, you can't even put up a good fight!"

"Like you were a big help. We could have been closer to finding the place where he's keeping Sora." Riku retorted. No, Yuffie was NOT on his good side, nor did she want to be.

Yuffie growled.

"For all I know," She glared down at him while pulling on the spear, "Your _dear_ friend Koro was right. You _are_ the destroyer."

He had to grit his teeth at that moment, for right now, killing Yuffie didn't sound like a bad idea. Fine, if she wanted to play this game, he wouldn't lose.

"'For all I know'… That isn't much, is it?" He coldly replied and smirked.

Yuffie lunged at him, but Aerith came in time to hold her back.

"That bastard! Lemme go Aerith!" Yuffie struggled against the older one, but Aerith was unaffected.

"Yuffie, calm down." She commanded sternly, but patiently. It was a wonder how Aerith could remain so calm, and even more so since Yuffie listened. The ninja stopped struggling, and Aerith let her go.

Yuffie glared at him, and made no sign of moving from her spot. Riku stood and crossed his arms.

"Friends. No fight."

Yuffie jumped at the sudden voice and the heavy hand that clasped her shoulder. She breathed a sigh in exaggeration as realization popped into her head.

"Okay. Only for you, Tarzan." And she stalked off to Leon. Tarzan pulled his weapon from the ground and looked at Riku.

"Me Tarzan." He placed his hand over his own chest. "You?"

"I'm Riku…" He replied, a bit uneasy. It wasn't that Tarzan was threatening; Riku didn't know how to act. Not many foreigners came to the island, and this felt even more awkward.

Tarzan nodded. He turned to the group and motioned them to follow.

"This way."

Kairi found it hard to sleep.

She tossed around on her bed again, desperately searching for a solution to her current problem. It wasn't doing her any good to sit and mope around, but she couldn't stop thinking about it. So many things could go wrong. She didn't think Koro would have taken Sora, and she certainly didn't expect he would do it so straightforward. Goofy had taught him so much better than that…

But no matter what the situation was, the current issue still remained. They didn't know where Sora was, they had no clue if Riku would be all right on his own, and Koro had been apparently overtaken by darkness. Things were not looking good.

On a more easier-to-tolerate level, she felt guiltier to wake everyone up. She prayed it didn't have to come to this. It was the whole _reason_ she offered to remember the memories that should have been lost. They would live with it; she knew. Their allegiance with Sora made sure of that. But that couldn't stop them from getting that one sense of longing from time to time. Once returned, memories could never be erased. At least, not in this life.

She prayed that the next life would be more peaceful. She prayed, prayed, prayed….

And finally, she fell asleep.

And Sora awoke.

He was back on the throne again, curled into a small ball. The darkness kept him warm, as odd as it was. The darkness didn't feel as threatening as before, and everything he once found creepy had become almost tame, including the long, dark tendrils against the sickly path-which still continued to cover itself up with the foliage. The headache ceased since he had returned to the plushy chair, though it had taken a while.

He jumped as Koro appeared right in front of him.

At first, he didn't know what to do. No matter how comfortable he had became with this place, the fact that Koro practically kidnapped him made it a bit awkward. How was one supposed to address a friendly kidnapper? A friendly, obsessive, mentally unstable kidnapper, at that?

But as he caught sight of the blood dripping down the younger one's arm, a wave of concern washed over him. He never liked it when people were hurt, but he shouldn't have cared about someone who took him away from his friends and family. It caught him by surprise, but sure enough, the concern wasn't going away.

"Hey, are you okay?" A stupid question, he realized soon afterwards, but it got the point across. Koro turned to him, mildly surprised.

"…I will be. Don't worry about it." He smiled lightly, but grimaced from the pain as he moved it. The blood on his fingers crusted already, and it probably wouldn't feel nice to take it off the wound.

Koro closed his eyes and a white aura passed down his arm. He took his hand off, revealing the pink skin from where the gash once was.

"How did you do that?" Sora wondered aloud. Koro opened his eyes grinned. The blond almost reminded him of himself.

"You can do it too, you know. I just have to get your keyblade back from _him._ Then you'll remember everything."

"I can?" He mused, secretly cheering that Riku was indeed still alive. He didn't know how Koro fought, and although Riku fought pretty well, instincts told him that Koro wasn't exactly easy.

And if he could perform magic, that meant that Donald at the very least was real.

"Yeah, you can." Koro's smile didn't waver, and he acted almost normal again.

"Kairi taught us!"

A/N: Yes, you all have rights to slap me. So much stuff, including the nearing finals, relationship stuff, and partial writer's block are to blame this time.

(1)Both Donald and Goofy call Sora "my liege", but "his Majesty" is someone else entirely! And only Donald and Goofy makes this distinction, no one else.


End file.
